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- Little by Little: Divine Delay and Wild Beasts
- “And the Fish Died and the Nile Stank”: A Hebrew Lesson from Egypt’s First Plague
- The Subtle Grammar of Possession in Biblical Hebrew
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The Tribal Inheritance in Joshua 14:4
Joshua 14:4 in Hebrew
כִּֽי־הָי֧וּ בְנֵֽי־יֹוסֵ֛ף שְׁנֵ֥י מַטֹּ֖ות מְנַשֶּׁ֣ה וְאֶפְרָ֑יִם וְלֹֽא־נָתְנוּ֩ חֵ֨לֶק לַלְוִיִּ֜ם בָּאָ֗רֶץ כִּ֤י אִם־עָרִים֙ לָשֶׁ֔בֶת וּמִ֨גְרְשֵׁיהֶ֔ם לְמִקְנֵיהֶ֖ם וּלְקִנְיָנָֽם׃
Introduction to the Verse
Joshua 14:4 provides a key clarification regarding the division of land among the tribes of Israel. The verse states:
כִּֽי־הָי֧וּ בְנֵֽי־יֹוסֵ֛ף שְׁנֵ֥י מַטֹּ֖ות מְנַשֶּׁ֣ה וְאֶפְרָ֑יִם – “For the sons of Yosef were two tribes, Menasheh and Ephrayim.”
וְלֹֽא־נָתְנוּ֩ חֵ֨לֶק לַלְוִיִּ֜ם בָּאָ֗רֶץ – “And they did not give a portion in the land to the Levites.”
כִּ֤י אִם־עָרִים֙ לָשֶׁ֔בֶת – “Only cities to dwell in.”… Learn Hebrew
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The Semitic Languages: Origins, Branches, and Grammar
Introduction to the Semitic Language Family
The Semitic languages are among the world’s oldest and most enduring linguistic families, with roots tracing back to the early civilizations of the Near East. These languages have played a foundational role in shaping the linguistic, cultural, and religious history of the Middle East, North Africa, and the Horn of Africa. They form a significant branch of the larger Afro-Asiatic language family, which also includes Egyptian, Berber, Chadic, Cushitic, and Omotic languages.
Historically, the Semitic languages have been spoken by various peoples stretching from the Levant and Mesopotamia to the Arabian Peninsula and Ethiopia.… Learn Hebrew
Egypt: The Meaning Behind “Mitsrayim” (מִצְרַיִם)
The Dual Egypts: Upper and Lower Egypt
Egypt, known in Hebrew as Mitsrayim (מִצְרַיִם), carries a fascinating linguistic and historical depth. Unlike many other place names, the Hebrew term for Egypt is in a plural form. But why is that? The answer lies in the very nature of ancient Egypt itself.
The plural nature of the word Mitsrayim (מִצְרַיִם) is often interpreted as a reference to the historical division of Egypt into two distinct regions: Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt.
Upper Egypt (the southern region) consisted of the narrow, elongated Nile Valley, where the river carved a path through the desert.… Learn Hebrew
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The Notation of Ketib and Qere in the Masoretic Manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible
The Masoretic Text (MT) of the Hebrew Bible is a product of meticulous textual preservation efforts by Jewish scribes known as the Masoretes. A unique feature of the MT is the system of Ketib (כתיב) and Qere (קרי) notations, which reflect textual variants and traditional pronunciations that diverge from the written consonantal text. This article explores the origins, functions, and significance of Ketib and Qere, emphasizing their role in preserving both textual integrity and oral transmission. By examining representative cases, the linguistic evolution of Hebrew, and theological considerations, this study highlights the Masoretic scribal strategies in navigating textual challenges and maintaining fidelity to sacred tradition.… Learn Hebrew
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The Cessation of Hebrew as a Popular Language Among Jews
Hebrew, one of the world’s oldest and most storied languages, holds a unique and revered place in the annals of human history. Originating in the ancient Near East, Hebrew has been intimately tied to the cultural, religious, and literary traditions of the Jewish people for millennia. As the language of the Hebrew Bible and other sacred texts, it has served not only as a means of communication but also as a vessel for the spiritual and intellectual heritage of Jewish communities.… Learn Hebrew
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The Semitic Languages
The Semitic language family is one of the most historically significant and linguistically complex branches of the Afro-Asiatic language family. Its speakers, spanning from ancient times to the modern era, have profoundly influenced the cultural, political, and religious landscapes of the ancient Near East, the Arabian Peninsula, and parts of North and East Africa. Semitic languages have served as the mediums for some of the world’s most influential literary and religious texts, including the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, and various early Christian writings in Syriac and Aramaic.… Learn Hebrew
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The Revival of Hebrew: From Sacred Tongue to Living Language
The Decline of Hebrew as a Spoken Language
Hebrew’s demise as a daily spoken language began during the Babylonian exile in the 6th century BC. The conquest of the Kingdom of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar II in 586 BC resulted in the deportation of a significant portion of the Jewish population to Babylon. In exile, Aramaic—then the lingua franca of the Near East—began to replace Hebrew as the primary spoken language of the Jewish people.
Even after the return from exile in 538 BC, Aramaic remained dominant, while Hebrew was increasingly confined to religious, literary, and scholarly contexts.… Learn Hebrew
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Overview of Ancient Semitic Languages
The Semitic languages constitute a major branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family, encompassing some of the world’s oldest and most influential written and spoken languages. Originating in the Near East, these languages have played a pivotal role in shaping the civilizations and cultures of the ancient world, leaving an enduring legacy in religious, literary, and linguistic traditions.
One of the defining features of Semitic languages is their root-based morphology, where words are typically constructed from a set of three consonants (known as trilateral roots), though some roots may consist of two or four consonants.… Learn Hebrew
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History of Classical Hebrew
Biblical Hebrew, often referred to as Classical Hebrew, is the ancient language in which much of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) was originally written. It serves as one of the foundational linguistic and cultural elements of the Jewish tradition and the ancient Israelite heritage. As a Semitic language, Biblical Hebrew shares linguistic roots with other ancient languages of the Near East, such as Akkadian, Aramaic, and Phoenician, reflecting the region’s interconnected cultural and political landscapes. Its evolution is deeply intertwined with the history of the Hebrew people, their religious texts, and their interactions with neighboring civilizations.… Learn Hebrew
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Borrowed Words from Akkadian, Aramaic, Egyptian, and Other Ancient Languages
Biblical Hebrew, though firmly grounded in the Semitic language family, reflects centuries of interaction with neighboring cultures through a rich tapestry of lexical borrowings. Words from Akkadian, such as הֵיכָל (“palace”) and סָרִיס (“court official”), entered Hebrew during periods of Assyrian and Babylonian dominance, especially in administrative and scribal contexts. Aramaic, the lingua franca of the Near East from the 8th century BC onward, contributed terms like רָז (“secret”) and פַּתְשֶׁגֶן (“document”), particularly in post-exilic texts like Daniel and Esther. Egyptian influence is evident in early biblical narratives through words like פַּרְעֹה (“Pharaoh”) and תֵּבָה (“ark”), reflecting Israel’s formative contact with Egypt.… Learn Hebrew
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